# Best Cavendish??



## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

Picked up a sample of something called "Irish Mist" from the local B&M yesterday. It had an interesting, "old timey" aroma that I've not quite decided whether I like or not...I called the store to find out what was in it...Burley, VA, and Cavendish was the answer. I enjoyed the smoke but the aroma, was almost on the verge of being _too_ pleasant if that makes any sense. Is this something that is typical of Cavendish? and what would be some suggestions for excellent Cavendish so I might have a comparison?

Thanks,

Rod


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

Isn't one of the points of the Cavendish process, is to make the tobacco more receptive to casing and toppings?

Is this what you have? Peretti - Irish Mist pipe tobacco reviews


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## CaptainEnormous (Sep 30, 2010)

I tried last year to find a perfect Cavendish blend. With mixed results.

The trouble I ran into was that Cavendish isn't a tobacco, it's the word used to describe the stoving/curing process. There are Virginia Cavs and Burley Cavs. Some sweet, some not. Some strong, some light. There are even some "English" style blends that use Cav instead of Latakia, and end up rich and smokey. 

I found that my personal tastes tend toward unsweetened Cavendish, as a way to add depth and to mellow blends. Solani's W&B comes to mind. 

I'd love to hear from someone who knows more about this. Particularly from one of the many (amateur or professional) blenders who frequent the forums.


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## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

shannensmall said:


> Isn't one of the points of the Cavendish process, is to make the tobacco more receptive to casing and toppings?
> 
> Is this what you have? Peretti - Irish Mist pipe tobacco reviews


I don't think so, the B&M guy said it was made by McClelland, I've no idea about Cavendish...I thought it was a strain of tobacco.:dunno:


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## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

CaptainEnormous said:


> I tried last year to find a perfect Cavendish blend. With mixed results.
> 
> *The trouble I ran into was that Cavendish isn't a tobacco, it's the word used to describe the stoving/curing process. There are Virginia Cavs and Burley Cavs. Some sweet, some not. Some strong, some light. There are even some "English" style blends that use Cav instead of Latakia, and end up rich and smokey. *
> 
> ...


Well, there's something I've learned already...yes I'd love to hear more on this subject...


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

I favor McC Navy Cavendish, FWIW.

McClelland - Matured Virginias: Navy Cavendish pipe tobacco reviews


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

The quick and dirty answer is that cavendish is tobacco that is pressed and heat treated to bring out the natural sugars in the leaf. It is often then flavored with just about anything you can name. In the old days, it was with sugar, rum, molasses - any sugar-bearing ingredient. As mentioned, virginia and burley tobaccos are the main players in this cavendish style. Virginia is usually flavored with something light like sugar or rum because it doesn't soak up flavorings as well as burley does. Burley is like Rolaids in that it consumes several times its weight in flavorings.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> I favor McC Navy Cavendish, FWIW.
> 
> McClelland - Matured Virginias: Navy Cavendish pipe tobacco reviews


Yes, me too. It's cavendish in old sense of the term and this one isn't even really flavored via spray or soaking, as I understand it. It's simply stored in old rum barrels and the rum that has soaked into the oaken barrel sort of melds with the tobacco. Very lightly flavored, mostly straight virginia. But you can see by the cut and color that it was pressed and heated in "bricks" prior to storing in these barrels and then sliced for the tin.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

What is it with you people? I was coming home and decided I needed to research the cavendish process. Here's what I've found.

Sir Thomas Cavendish figured out in the 1500's that if you dipped tobacco leaves in sugar it made it a more mellow smoke. Apparently any type of leaf can be used. They basically soak it in some sort of sugar/flavoring and then press it and heat it. Steam is one of the ways I read about a lot. Then they let it ferment. Cut it up and rub it out.

English cavendish actually uses dark flued or fired cured virginia. There is also different colors, black, white, etc.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

owaindav said:


> What is it with you people? I was coming home and decided I needed to research the cavendish process. Here's what I've found.
> 
> Sir Thomas Cavendish figured out in the 1500's that if you dipped tobacco leaves in sugar it made it a more mellow smoke. Apparently any type of leaf can be used. They basically soak it in some sort of sugar/flavoring and then press it and heat it. Steam is one of the ways I read about a lot. Then they let it ferment. Cut it up and rub it out.
> 
> English cavendish actually uses dark flued or fired cured virginia. There is also different colors, black, white, etc.


Yeah, that sounds familiar.


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## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

Well...now I know a lot more than I did yesterday at this time, thanks Gents! Might have to give the McC Navy Cavendish a try. Is it available as a bulk? If so my B&M might have some to sample.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

gjcab09 said:


> Well...now I know a lot more than I did yesterday at this time, thanks Gents! Might have to give the McC Navy Cavendish a try. Is it available as a bulk? If so my B&M might have some to sample.


McClellands sells a Dark Navy Flake in bulk but it doesn't taste quite the same to me. It tastes more like McC's tinned Dark Star. Same lighting problems, too. Both it's worth a sample.


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## strongirish (Dec 11, 2008)

To me in my 40 years of smoking the pipe, if you want traditional cavendish, the best would be Amphora not sold here in the US anymore but is in Europe and Canada. Troost is another one which some etailers do carry, Skandinavik which is pretty easy to find. PS makes some good ones like Natural, or French Vanilla. It is a process but the Danish have made it almost a type and they produce a lot of it.


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## yvesmary (Jan 28, 2011)

strongirish said:


> To me in my 40 years of smoking the pipe, if you want traditional cavendish, the best would be Amphora not sold here in the US anymore but is in Europe and Canada. Troost is another one which some etailers do carry, Skandinavik which is pretty easy to find. PS makes some good ones like Natural, or French Vanilla. It is a process but the Danish have made it almost a type and they produce a lot of it.


The Dutch were the masters of Cavendish. Amphora is still a pretty good tobacco for being a cheap "drug-store" blend. (Why here at the corner store it's still under $30 a pouch).

Troost Special Cavendish was top-notch and a favorite for many years. It lost something when it moved to Denmark though.


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